Display panel including scanning cells and fixed format display cells

ABSTRACT

A display panel comprises a plurality of gas-filled cells arranged in rows and columns and including electrode means for firing said cells in a predetermined pattern. The panel also includes a mask having a pattern of openings and overlaying the cells so that the glow of selected cells glowing through selected ones of said openings provides a display of a character.

I 1 Jan. 30, 1973 [541 DISPLAY PANEL INCLUDING [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS SCANNING CELLS AND FIXED FORMAT DISPLAY CELLS sis/84.6

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2 925,530 2/1960 Engclbart........................... 2.8481138 8/1958 Smith 3,626,245 12/1971 Rosenberg et o .e D n .mo flfi Mn 90 w a C K m A eu 0 r 0-! cu GB mn mm .mA 1] 53 77 ll Mich.

Primary Examiner-Palmer C. Demeo Att0rneyl(enneth L. Miller, Robert A. Green, [22] F'Ied: 1970 George L. Kensinger and Charles S. Hall [57] ABSTRACT A display panel comprises a plurality of gas-filled cells arranged in rows and columns and including electrode means for firing said cells in a predetermined pattern. The panel also includes a mask having a pattern of Appl. No.: 61,644

[52] U.S.Cl............

Field Search-"W openings and overlaying the cells so that the glow of selected cells glowing through selected ones of said openings provides a display of a character.

12 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 30 I973 SHEET 1 [IF 5 INVENTOR.

GEQRGE A. KUPSKY ATTORNEY PAIENTEDJAN 30 ms 3. 7 14,506

sum 2 or s v INVENTOR. GEORGE A. KUPSKY PAIENIEDJANBO I973 3,714,506

GEORGE A. KUPSKY DISPLAY PANEL INCLUDING SCANNING CELLS AND FIXED FORMAT DISPLAY CELLS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to segment-type display devices of which many are known in the prior art. However, none of these known devices is as simple in construction and operation as the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, a display panel embodying the invention includes a plurality of gas-filled cells arranged in rows and columns and adapted to be fired sequentially and selectively. An apertured mask overlays thecells, and selected cells can be caused to glow through selected apertures to display a character.

DESCRIPTIONOF THE DRAWINGS panel embodying the invention and a circuit in which it may be operated;

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a modification of the invention; and,

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of another modification of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The display panel described herein is a thin, flat, sheet-like member which may have substantially any desired size and shape from, for example, postage stamp size to wall size, and it may include substantially any number of display cells. The panel may also include any suitable ionizable gas such as neon, argon, xenon, etc., singly or in combination, with a vapor of a metal such as mercury usually included in the gas to minimize cathode sputtering.

A display panel 10 embodying the invention (referring to FIGS. 1 to 4) includes an insulating bottom plate of glass, ceramic, or the like having a top surface 30 in which a plurality of parallel slots 40 are formed. For purposes of description, the slots are considered to be oriented horizontally. A scanning anode electrode wire 50 is seated in each of the slots, and a plurality of scanning cathode electrode strips 60 are seated on the top surface of the plate 20. Each cathode 60 has a series of holes 64 arrayed along its length and each hole overlays a slot 40. The cathodes are oriented at 90 to the anodes, with each cathode crossing each anode, and each such crossing defining a scanning cell 70. With the arrangement shown, each cathode electrode 60 and its holes 64 are disposed along a column of scanning cells and each anode 50 is disposed along a row of scanning cells.

The panel 10 includes an insulating plate 80 of glass, ceramic, or the like, seated on the bottom plate 20 and cathodes 60 and the plate 80 is provided with one or more groups of generally rectangular slots or apertures 90 A, B, C, D, E, F, G with corresponding apertures in each group carrying the same reference numerals. The apertures in each group are adapted to be arranged in different combinations to display alphabetic and numeric characters and for this purpose they are arrayed generally in the form of a figure 8 in a manner well known to provide such a display- Thus each array includes three horizontally-elongated slots or bar segments 90A, 90D, and 906 spaced apart from each other with two vertically elongated slots between them. The apertures 90 represent display cells in panel 10 and each cell includes a portion of a cathode 60, an anode 110, and the gas between them in an aperture or cell 90.

An array of display anode wires 110 (A to E) is disposed on the top surface of the plate 80, the wires 110 being oriented horizontally with each wire being positioned vertically above one of the scanning anode wires 50 and with each generally overlaying one or more corresponding apertures 90 in each group of apertures in the plate 80. Thus the firstdisplay anode 110A is aligned with apertures 90A in each array, the second display anode 1108 is aligned with the two vertical apertures 90B and 90C in each array, the third display anode 110C is aligned with the next horizontal apertures 90D etc. as shown. Each aperture 90 and the associated scanning cathode and display anode comprise a display cell having the shape of the associated aperture 90. The panel is completed by an insulating glass cover viewing plate 120 seated on plate and wires 110.

All of the plates and electrodes are sealed together along their adjacent edges by means of a seal 116 formed of a suitable glass frit or the like. The panel is also filled with a suitable gas through a tubulation 114 secured to the bottom surface of the bottom plate. (FIG. 4) If desired in panel 10, the 60 and electrodes may be seated in slots or depressions in one of the plates with which they are associated such as shown in FIG. 4 for electrodes 1 10.

In operation of panel 10, and referring to FIG. 5, a method and circuit for scanning gas cells may be used which are described and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 850,984 filed Aug. l8, 1969. As described in that application, the cathode electrodes 60 are connected in groups with, in one arrangement, every -fourth cathode being in a group. Thus, cathodes 60A are in a group, 608 are in a group, and 60C are in a group, and each group is connected to its own drive circuit (A,B,C) for applying operating potential thereto. It is noted that the cathodes associated with the same display cells in each group carry the same reference numerals. All of the scanning anode electrodes 50 are connected together to a common anode operating potential source 140. Each display anode 110 is connected to its own potential source l50,'all of which are coupled to and are operated by signals from an information signal source which represents a computer, encoder, decoder, character generator or other required circuitry. The various circuit drivers are synchronized to perform the operation described below.

With all scanning anodes 50 energized, the cathode drivers 130 are each energized in turn and as each is energized, the associated cathodes are energized and the associated column of scanning cells 70 closest to the most recently glowing column of cells is fired and caused to glow. Each column of scanning cells is fired in turn as each cathode driver 130 is turned on and the associated cathodes are energized. This operation is facilitated by the presence of slots 40 in plate 20 which permit excited particles to diffuse from a fired column of cells to adjacent OFF cells which are primed thereby and which then fire preferentially when their cathode is energized by a cathode driver even though another more remote cathode is connected to the same driver. As each column of scanning cells is fired, appropriate operating potentials are applied to selected display annodes 110 in accordance with information signals received from data source 160. As each display anode is energized, glow is transferred from the associated scanning cell 70 through the associated aperture 64 in.

the cathode into the associated aperture or display cell 90 in the apertured plate 80, and the total number of apertures or display cells 90 which glow in each group represent a character as determined by theinformation signals from source 160. For example, if, as cathode source 130A is energized and all cells in the first column are energized, information signals cause display anode sources 1508 and 150D to operate and apply operating potential to anodes 1108 and 110D, then display cells 90B and 90B will turn ON and this represents numeral l If, as the columns of scanning cells continue to be fired, in the second group of characters, display cells 90A, 90C, 90D, 90F, 90G are turned on, then the numeral 3 is displayed. As the columns of scanning cells are scanned, a different character can be displayed in each group of display cells and if the complete scanning cycle is performed continually and at a suitably high rate, a series of numbers or letters or other characters can be made to appear to be stationary and on display in the panel. It should be noted that, even though some of the cathodes 60 are narrower than the associated display cells such as cells 90A, 90D, and 900, the glow from the cathodes, when they are energized, spreads and fills the entire cells. Thus, when the numeral 3 is displayed as indicated, the glow fills all of the volume of display cells 90A, 90C, 90D, 90F, and 906, thus forming a complete numeral.

It is clear that the foregoing operation can be achieved with other circuit arrangements in which, for example, the cathodes are each driven separately rather than connected in groups to common drivers as shown and described.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will appreciate. For example, although one scanning anode,

' one scanning cathode and one display anode may be sufi'icient to operate the scanning cells and the display cells, as described above, it may be desirable to provide more than one of each for each display cell as illustrated schematically in FIG. 6 which represents a portion of a display panell embodying this modification.

The number of electrodes associated with each cell in FIG. 6 is determined, in general, by the size of the display cell or display aperture 90. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, display cell 90A has associated with it two scanning anodes 50, three scanning cathodes 60, and

two display anodes 1 10A. In the circuit used with panel 10', all of the cathodes 60' are connected to a single driver 130 (not shown), and both display anodes 110A are connected together to driver 150A. Similarly, display cell 908 includes three scanning anodes, one cathode 60 with three of its apertures 64 and three display anodes 110B. Display cell 90C is associated with the same number of electrodes as display cell 908, and display cell 90D is associated with the same number of electrodes as cell 90A. The other display cells are not shown; however, the electrode arrangements therefor are clear from the foregoing description.

It is clear that, in the display devices described above, cathode apertures 64 and scanning cells are required only where display cells 90 are formed. Thus, in these devices, the cathodes can be specially apertured as required. The display panel described in Ser.

No. 850,984 is a mass-produced device which has rows I and columns of scanning cells which include scanning cathode electrodes each of which has a series of tiny holes extending along its length. A manufacturerof this type of panel can use the same parts to produce panels embodying the principles of the present invention by merely using the desired apertured plate (like plate having the desired array of display cells in conjunction with the scanning cell structure and the display anodes 110. The selected apertured plate will use the required scanning cells and cathode holes and will mask the others. This principle is illustrated in FIG. 7, which is a schematic representation of a panel embodying'the invention and having scanning anodes 50, display anodes 110, and scanning cathodes 60 which have a relatively large number of holes 64. The desired cathode holes 64 and scanning cells are selected by the apertures which are provided in the associated apertured plate (not shown) and are used to create the desired display patterns. The apertures 90 may have any desired shape and orientation.

What is claimed is:

l. A display panel comprising:-

a gas-filled envelope including a viewing window;

a plurality of scanning cells arrayed in rows and columns in said envelope, each including a volume of gas and an anode and a cathode electrode;

all of said scanning cells being adapted to be fired and scanned column by column by means of potentials applied to said anode and cathode electrodes;

an apertured mask positioned between said scanning cells and said viewing window, the apertures in said mask comprising gas-filled display cells which are positioned, each in operative relation with a plurality of different onesof said scanning cells, said apertures as a whole comprising a fixed format of display cells, and, said display cells being larger than said scanning cells, and

a plurality of transfer electrodes associated with said display cells in said apertured mask and positioned between said mask and said viewing window, each said transfer electrode being associated with selected ones of said display cells whereby as each column of scanning cells is scanned and potentials are applied to said transfer electrodes, glow is transferred from selected scanning cells into one or more of said display cells in said apertured mask with the display cells thus energized displaying a character. 2. A display panel comprising: a gas-filled envelope including a viewing window; a plurality of scanning cells arrayed in rows and columns in said envelope, each including a volume of gas and an anode and a cathode electrode;

all of said scanning cells being adapted to be fired and scanned column by column by means of potentials applied to said anode and cathode electrodes,

an apertured mask positioned between said scanning cells and said viewing window, the apertures in said mask comprising gas-filled display cells which are positioned, each in operative relation, with a plurality of different ones of said scanning cells, said apertures as a whole comprising a fixed format of display cells; and

a plurality of transfer electrodes associated with said display cells in said apertured mask and positioned between said mask and said viewing window, each said transfer electrode being associated with selected ones of said display cells whereby as each column of scanning cells is scanned and potentials are applied to said transfer electrodes, glow is transferred from selected scanning cells into one or more of said display cells in said apertured mask with the display cells thus energized displaying a character, said scanning cells being small dot-like cells arrayed in rows and columns and each of said display cells being generally rectangular in shape, overlaying, enclosing and in operative relation with a plurality of said scanning cells, the electrodes of the plurality of scanning cells associated with each display aperture being connected together to a common operating circuit.

3. A display panel comprising: a gas-filled envelope including a viewing window; a plurality of scanning cells arrayed in rows and columns in said envelope, each including a volume of gas and an anode and a cathode electrode;

all of said scanning cells being adapted to be fired and scanned column by column by means of potentials applied to said anode and cathode electrodes;

an apertured mask positioned between said scanning cells and said viewing window, the apertures in said mask comprising gas-filled display cells which are positioned, each in operative relation with a plurality of different ones of said scanning cells, said apertures as a whole comprising a fixed format of display cells; and

a plurality of transfer electrodes associated with said electrodes which'cross each other and define the scanning cell, the scanning cell havingrelatively small volume, the display cell associated with a scanning cell having a considerably larger volume and each transfer electrode comprising a wire-like electrode which operates with at lease one of said cathode electrodes to fire a display cell.

4. A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including an insulating base plate,

a first array of first anode wires supported on said plate,

a second array of cathode electrodes supported on said plate and spaced from said first anode wires, said first anode wires and said cathode electrodes being positioned so that they cross each other with each crossing forming a scanning cell, said cathode electrodes having apertures, 1

a second insulating plate seated on said base plate with said first anode and cathode electrodes disposed therebetween, said second plate having a fixed group of display apertures which comprise display' cells which can be caused to glow in different combinations to represent characters, each display aperture being aligned with and in operative relation with one cathode and an aperture therein, each display aperture having a considerably greater area then a scanning cell, and a second anode wire associated with each of said display apertures in said second plate and each adapted to operate with said one cathode electrode to cause glow in the display aperture with which it is associated.

5. A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including an insulating base plate,

a first array of first anode wires supported on said plate,

a second array of cathode wires supported on said plate and spaced from said first anode wires, said first anode wires and cathode wires being positioned so that they cross each other and each crossing forms a scanning cell,

a second insulating plate seated on said first plate with said first anode and cathode electrodes disposed between said first and second plates, said second plate having a fixed group of display apertures which comprise display cells which can be caused to glow in different combinations to represent characters, each display aperture being aligned with and in operative relation with at least one of said scanning cells, each display aperture having a considerably greater area than a scanning cell, and

a second anode wire associated with each of said display apertures in said second plate and each adapted to operate with one of said cathode electrodes to cause glow in the display aperture with which it is associated.

6. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said display cells are larger than said scanning cells.

7. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein at least one of said display cells is in operative relation with a plurality of scanning cells.

8. The panel defined in claim wherein said scanning cells are arrayed in rows and columns and each of said display cells overlays and encloses and is in operative relation with a plurality of said scanning cells.

9. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said scanning cells are small dot-like cells and are arrayed in rows and columns and each of said display cells is generally rectangular in shape and overlays and encloses and is in operative relation with a plurality of said scanning cells, the electrodes of the plurality of scanning cells associated with each display aperture being connected together to a common operating circuit.

10. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein the anode and cathode electrodes associated with each scanning cell are wire-like electrodes which cross each other and define the scanning cell, the scanning cell having relatively small volume, the display cell associated with a scanning cell having a considerably larger volume and having a wire-like electrode which operates with at least one of said cathode electrodes to fire a display cell.

11. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said second plate includes a plurality of groups of display apertures spaced apart and each being in operative relation with a group of said scanning cells.

12. A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including an insulating base plate,

a first array of first anode wires supported on said base plate,

a second array of cathode electrodes supported on said base plate and spaced from said first anode wires, said first anode wires and cathode electrodes being positioned so that they cross each other and each crossing forms a scanning cell, said scanning cells being arranged in rows and columns,

said cathode electrodes comprising metal strips each with a plurality of said scanning cells, each display aperture having an elongated generally rectangular segment shape,

at least one second anode wire associated with each of said display cells in said second plate and each adapted to operate with one of said cathode electrodes to cause glow in the display cell with which it is associated. 

1. A display panel comprising: a gas-filled envelope including a viewing window; a plurality of scanning cells arrayed in rows and columns in said envelope, each including a volume of gas and an anode and a cathode electrode; all of said scanning cells being adapted to be fired and scanned column by column by means of potentials applied to said anode and cathode electrodes; an apertured mask positioned between said scanning cells and said viewing window, the apertures in said mask comprising gas-filled display cells which are positioned, each in operative relation with a plurality of different ones of said scanning cells, said apertures as a whole comprising a fixed format of display cells, and, said display cells being larger than said scanning cells, and a plurality of transfer electrodes associated with said display cells in said apertured mask and positioned between said mask and said viewing window, each said transfer electrode being associated with selected ones of said display cells whereby as each column of scanning cells is scanned and potentials are applied to said transfer electrodes, glow is transferred from selected scanning cells into one or more of said display cells in said apertured mask with the display cells thus energized displaying a character.
 1. A display panel comprising: a gas-filled envelope including a viewing window; a plurality of scanning cells arrayed in rows and columns in said envelope, each including a volume of gas and an anode and a cathode electrode; all of said scanning cells being adapted to be fired and scanned column by column by means of potentials applied to said anode and cathode electrodes; an apertured mask positioned between said scanning cells and said viewing window, the apertures in said mask comprising gasfilled display cells which are positioned, each in operative relation with a plurality of different ones of said scanning cells, said apertures as a whole comprising a fixed format of display cells, and, said display cells being larger than said scanning cells, and a plurality of transfer electrodes associated with said display cells in said apertured mask and positioned between said mask and said viewing window, each said transfer electrode being associated with selected ones of said display cells whereby as each column of scanning cells is scanned and potentials are applied to said transfer electrodes, glow is transferred from selected scanning cells into one or more of said display cells in said apertured mask with the display cells thus energized displaying a character.
 2. A display panel comprising: a gas-filled envelope including a viewing window; a plurality of scanning cells arrayed in rows and columns in said envelope, each including a volume of gas and an anode and a cathode electrode; all of said scanning cells being adapted to be fired and scanned column by column by means of potentials applied to said anode and cathode electrodes, an apertured mask positioned between said scanning cells and said viewing window, the apertures in said mask comprising gas-filled display cells which are positioned, each in operative relation, with a plurality of different ones of said scanning cells, said apertures as a whole comprising a fixed format of display cells; and a plurality of transfer electrodes associated with said display cells in said apertured mask and positioned between said mask and said viewing window, each said transfer electrode being associated with selected ones of said display cells whereby as each column of scanning cells is scanned and potentials are applied to said transfer electrodes, glow is transferred from selected scanning cells into one or more of said display cells in said apertured mask with the display cells thus energized displaying a character, said scanning cells being small dot-like cells arrayed in rows and columns and each of said display cells being generally rectangular in shape, overlaying, enclosing and in operative relation with a plurality of said scanning cells, the electrodes of the plurality of scanning cells associated with each display aperture being connected together to a common operating circuit.
 3. A display panel comprising: a gas-filled envelope including a viewing window; a plurality of scanning cells arrayed in rows and columns in said envelope, each including a volume of gas and an anode and a cathode electrode; all of said scanning cells being adapted to be fired and scanned column by column by means of potentials applied to said anode and cathode electrodes; an apertured mask positioned between said scanning cells and said viewing window, the apertures in said mask comprising gas-filled display cells which are positioned, each in operative relation with a plurality of different ones of said scanning cells, said apertures as a whole comprising a fixed format of display cells; and a plurality of transfer electrodes associated with said display cells in said apertured mask and positioned between said mask and said viewing window, each said transfer electrode being associated with selected ones of said display cells whereby as each column of scanning cells is scanned and potentials are applied to said transfer electrodes, glow is transferred from selected scanning cells into one or more of said display cells in said apertured mask with the display cells thus energized displaying a character, said anode and cathode electrodes associated with each scanning cell being wire-like electrodes which cross each other and define the scanning cell, the scanning cell having relatively small volume, the display cell associated with a scanning cell having a considerably larger volume and each transfer electrode comprising a wire-like electrode which operates with at lease one of said cathode electrodes to fire a display cell.
 4. A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including an insulating base plate, a first array of first anode wires supported on said plate, a second array of cathode electrodes supported on said plate and spaced from said first anode wires, said first anode wires and said cathode electrodes being positioned so that they cross each other with each crossing forming a scanning cell, said cathode electrodes having apertures, a second insulating plate seated on said base plate with said first anode and cathode electrodes disposed therebetween, said second plate having a fixed group of display apertures which comprise display cells which can be caused to glow in different combinations to represent characters, each display aperture being aligned with and in operative relation with one cathode and an aperture therein, each display aperture having a considerably greater area then a scanning cell, and a second anode wire associated with each of said display apertures in said second plate and each adapted to operate with said one cathode electrode to cause glow in the display aperture with which it is associated.
 5. A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including an insulating base plate, a first array of first anode wires supported on said plate, a second array of cathode wires supported on said plate and spaced from said first anode wires, said first anode wires and cathode wires being positioned so that they cross each other and each crossing forms a scanning cell, a second insulating plate seated on said first plate with said first anode and cathode electrodes disposed between said first and second plates, said second plate having a fixed group of display apertures which comprise display cells which can be caused to glow in different combinations to represent characters, each display aperture being aligned with and in operative relation with at least one of said scanning cells, each display aperture having a considerably greater area than a scanning cell, and a second anode wire associated with each of said display apertures in said second plate and each adapted to operate with one of said cathode electrodes to cause glow in the display aperture with which it is associated.
 6. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said display cells are larger than said scanning cells.
 7. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein at least one of said display cells is in operative relation with a plurality of scanning cells.
 8. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said scanning cells are arrayed in rows and columns and each of said display cells ovErlays and encloses and is in operative relation with a plurality of said scanning cells.
 9. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said scanning cells are small dot-like cells and are arrayed in rows and columns and each of said display cells is generally rectangular in shape and overlays and encloses and is in operative relation with a plurality of said scanning cells, the electrodes of the plurality of scanning cells associated with each display aperture being connected together to a common operating circuit.
 10. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein the anode and cathode electrodes associated with each scanning cell are wire-like electrodes which cross each other and define the scanning cell, the scanning cell having relatively small volume, the display cell associated with a scanning cell having a considerably larger volume and having a wire-like electrode which operates with at least one of said cathode electrodes to fire a display cell.
 11. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said second plate includes a plurality of groups of display apertures spaced apart and each being in operative relation with a group of said scanning cells. 